R.I.P. Premiere Magazine

R.I.P. Premiere Magazine

This is a real bummer: It was confirmed today that Premiere magazine will cease operations after its April issue hits newsstands. While the online version of the magazine will survive (expect some SXSW reports coming from there soon), this is the end of one of the last major monthly film magazines. I’ve said it before, and it’s true: Premiere was always a personal favorite. At least there will still be some presence out there. Varietyhas a piece on the closure, which reads more like a eulogy:

Premiere also faced the challenge of being a long-lead mag in a realm where news moves increasingly quickly. For example, Oscar predictions made months in advance now run the risk of becoming stale by the time the print edition hits newsstands.

And while interest in celeb news is by many indications stronger than ever, sites like TMZ and PerezHilton have proved more adept at breaking and keeping up with news.

Hachette’s latest strategy is to move in a newsier direction, offering more timely items on Premiere.com and mobile platforms — routes that would also be less costly.